Setting off
towards the summit of the Sidelhorn at 2764m on Monday morning, we
felt relieved to be starting out from 2150m already rather than some
of the mammoth hikes we had tackled in the previous week and the short but steep ride up the Furkapass. The
Sidelhorn, which is relatively easy to reach from the top of the
Grimselpass is a rocky and pointed summit, which stands clear above
its closest neighbours and so affords excellent views right into the
heart of the Bernese Alps, including the famous peaks of the Eiger
and Jungfrau, on a clear day at least.
With just 600m of
climbing to go we felt relaxed about the day ahead but with just one
uncertainty - the weather. Despite having opened our blinds that
morning to a clear crystal blue sky, the weather had already
deteriorated by mid-morning when we set off into a patchwork of grey
clouds that shifted continuously from peak to peak and threatened to
hide the view we wanted to see. Climbing gently away from the
parking, straight onto the muddy tracks, we traversed slowly upwards
and around the southern flank of the Sidelhorn on a well marked track
that soon led us onto much more rocky terrain. The views were
spectacular from the outset and even from these lower slopes we were
treated to an excellent perspective right down the Valais towards
Mont Blanc (which was shrouded in cloud today) and south into Italy.
Also revealed was the tongue of the Rhone Glacier which we had
visited just the day before, its bulk now hidden behind a mighty wall
of jagged rock at over 3000m on the opposite side of the Grimselpass.
After an hour of
this steady hiking the way turned north and steepened, now
progressing over the rockfall beneath the summit of the Sidelhorn,
strewn with loose boulders that made the way more challenging.
Breathing heavily, after 2 hours we reached the col 100m below the
summit to give us our first proper look to the north and into the
Bernese Alps. Although the clouds had continued to gather and were
currently hiding the highest 4000m peaks that we had hoped to see,
the view remained clear of the Oberaar and Unteraar Glaciers which
sweep down eastwards from two adjacent valleys from the flanks of the
Oberaarhorn (3629m) and Schreckhorn (4078m) respectively. The two
valleys, separated by a 3000m ridge, were clearly visible from our
vantage point and their boulder strewn glaciers looked majestic
beneath the dark clouds.
Starting our way
up the final ascent and despite the relatively small climb we were
undertaking today, the pointed summit meant that the final approach
was steep and challenging, with loose rocks moving underfoot
interspersed with gigantic boulders that we scrambled over. The
pointed summit did mean that on arriving we were now treated to a
beautiful 360 degree panoramic, piecing together all of the snippets
we had seen during our ascent – the Rhone Glacier, Italy, the
Valais, Mont Blanc and the Bernese Alps – and we settled in amongst
the summit cairns to enjoy the view.
As seems to be our
habit, we lingered at the top for a couple of hours despite the
chilly breeze as other hikers came and went, pausing only for a few
quick photos before heading down. However, we had no hurry since our
home was parked just an hour or so descending away. Besides the
clouds were tantalising us by showing signs of clearing over the
Bernese Alps and we didn't want to miss the view if they did. Slowly,
almost imperceptibly, as the afternoon wore on the dark clouds that
had been hiding the 4000m peaks drifted away, illuminating the
previously dark glaciers with bright sunshine and revealing the
Schreckhorn and nearby Finsteraarhorn (4274m) topped with snow
standing far above the other nearby peaks. Plus, as an added bonus we
could now even make out southern, snowy side of the famous Eiger
nestling just to the north of these giants.
Descending in the
bright afternoon sunshine we took the time to carry on absorbing the
view and the peacefulness of this mountain. Having already decided to
stay at least one more night enjoying the tranquility of the
Grimselpass we slowly made our way back to the van and a welcome warm
meal, before enjoying another beautiful sunset over the hills. There
is just something about being so high and remote as the evening drew
in and the handful of day visitors had left that we both felt so at
home in this otherwise rugged and inhospitable landscape.
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